Vulnerable Cities: Coastal Flood Risk

Climate Central analyzed annual coastal flood risks for 23 U.S. cities using Risk Finder and the Coastal Risk Screening Tool. The analysis highlights the impact of human-caused sea level rise, noting it contributed 13% of Hurricane Sandy's damages in the Northeast. For specific cities, the report identifies annual likelihoods of flooding at various levels above Mean Higher High Water (MHHW), such as a 20% likelihood for Norfolk at MHHW +4 feet. The document also notes that atmospheric warming is increasing the proportion of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes globally and may lead to more frequent back-to-back storms and rapid intensification.

• Human-caused sea level rise was responsible for $8.1 billion, representing 13% of the damages caused by Hurricane Sandy in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.
• Among the assessed U.S. cities, Norfolk has a 20% annual likelihood of experiencing a flood level of 4 feet above Mean Higher High Water (MHHW), followed by Galveston at 19% (MHHW +4 feet), New York at 18% (MHHW +4 feet), Charleston at 17% (MHHW +3 feet), and Tampa at 14% (MHHW +3 feet).
• Atmospheric warming has led to a global increase in the proportion of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes, and climate change is projected to increase the frequency of back-to-back hurricanes and the speed of hurricane strengthening, termed "rapid intensification."

APA

Climate Central (2024). Vulnerable Cities: Coastal Flood Risk. https://www.climatecentral.org/report/cities-coastal-flood-risk

Chicago

Climate Central. Vulnerable Cities: Coastal Flood Risk. 2024. https://www.climatecentral.org/report/cities-coastal-flood-risk.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate Central |title=Vulnerable Cities: Coastal Flood Risk |date=23 May 2024 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/report/cities-coastal-flood-risk |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climatecentral2024vulnerable, author = {{Climate Central}}, title = {{Vulnerable Cities: Coastal Flood Risk}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2024}, month = may, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/report/cities-coastal-flood-risk}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }